


Love in the Time of Hardship

by charleybradburies



Series: Laurel Lance Week 2015 [1]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012), DC Cinematic Universe, DCU
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Feels, Angst with a Happy Ending, Arrow Family, Big Sisters, Canon Era, Canon Related, Community: 100_women, Community: 1_million_words, Confessions, Crying, Drabble, Emotional, Emotional Baggage, Emotional Hurt, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Episode Related, Episode: s02e14 Time of Death, F/F, Family, Family Drama, Family Dynamics, Family Feels, Female Friendship, Female Protagonist, Female-Centric, Hugs, I Made Myself Cry, Implied Femslash, Implied/Referenced Incest, Little Sisters, Love, My First Work in This Fandom, Other, POV Female Character, References to Canon, Self Confidence Issues, Self-Esteem Issues, Short One Shot, Sibling Incest, Sibling Love, Siblings, Sister Complex, Sister-Sister Relationship, Sister/Sister Incest, Sisters, Superheroes, Women Being Awesome, just a heads up, sort of, they're emotional and i do kind of ship them so
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-01
Updated: 2015-06-01
Packaged: 2018-04-02 11:09:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 420
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4057768
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/charleybradburies/pseuds/charleybradburies
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><b><br/></b><br/><i>I realized that - that I went on that boat with you, too. And I've been slowly drowning for all of these years. And after every heartbreak, or setback, or less, I sank deeper into the dark water. And so, when I saw you, so beautiful, and so alive...I realized that I'm not those things. Not anymore. So please, please don't hate me, Sara. Please...</i><br/> </p><p>Laurel Lance Week Day One: Favorite Scene<br/>(+ <i>1-million-words A-Z Challenge Prompt: H</i> + <i>100-women prompt #35: Hug.</i>)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Love in the Time of Hardship

**Author's Note:**

> A) Pretty much every scene I've seen with Laurel in it could qualify as a favorite scene, but the lovely [fuckyeahlaurellance blog](http://fuckyeahlaurellance.tumblr.com) reblogged a [gifset](http://fuckyeahlaurellance.tumblr.com/post/120425036564/laurel-lance-week-day-one-favorite-scene) of Laurel's speech to Sara in 'Time of Death' and I had this idea so I went for it.
> 
> B) This is my first Arrow work ever (actually my first DC work ever, too) and I haven't watched all that many episodes of Arrow in the first place so I'm kind of worried that my characterization will just seem horrid so, I mean, I always say that comments are appreciated, but they'd be extra appreciated here, I guess, since I'm really stretching myself to rise to the challenge of this appreciation week and it'd be great to know what I can work on or what I got right and stuff like that. This is me rambling because I'm nervous and I'm gonna stop now.
> 
> C) Title inspired by Agents of SHIELD's 'Love in the Time of HYDRA.'
> 
> xx

She's slowly setting up the bathroom, lighting a couple of Felicity’s candles and leaning down to turn on the tub faucet even though her whole body aches like nobody's business, when she hears a soft click that she could swear is the front door. Felicity’s napping, all too willing to give Laurel some time to herself, so it’s not as though it’s her, but who would come by like this? Oliver? Oh, she’d shoot him. But no…he didn’t know she was here, did he? And he certainly wouldn’t come over to Felicity’s without permission, not unless he thought she was in danger, and then he’d call first, wouldn’t he?

Unwilling but as ready as she could be for another fight, Laurel tightens the belt of her bathrobe and glances around the bathroom for any sort of weapon, just in case. She can’t find anything - it _was_ an IT babe’s bathroom, after all - but realizes that the lighter she’s holding should do just fine. 

She doesn’t need it.

She turns out of the bathroom, looking right into the living room, a clear view at all the space between her and the front door of Felicity’s apartment, and it’s Sara who’s standing there.

Laurel can see that she’s been crying, and though her immediate reaction is to think to herself that she’ll beat the living daylights out of whoever it is that’s hurt her, it precedes - and is quickly trumped by - the feeling of her own heart breaking. 

They only stand there looking at each other, Sara seemingly as unable to find words as Laurel is.

“You are,” Sara chokes out eventually. 

“You _have_ to know that you are…you _are_ beautiful, and - and smart, and strong, and alive, _God,_ you’re so alive, I’m so glad you’re still alive, you can’t - you can’t really think that I could ever, ever _hate_ you, could you? Please, tell me you know that I could never hate you…” she cries, and the few words that Laurel can manage to think of can’t come out. But even though she starts to think that, since none of them are truly of agreement, she maybe shouldn’t even bother trying, she can’t. This is _Sara_ \- she can’t just close her mouth and walk away, close her heart. Could she? 

She decides she doesn’t want to find out.

She gulps and musters what she can to shove a measly ‘please’ out from her quivering lips, and Sara bounds forward, gripping her sister tightly and ensconcing her in her arms.


End file.
